


Team Bonding

by epithalamium



Category: Free!
Genre: Drama CD, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Nitori is a Miyano Mamoru fanboy, The Samezuka Boys Sing Karaoke, There are weird drinks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-17
Updated: 2014-01-17
Packaged: 2018-01-09 01:04:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1139618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epithalamium/pseuds/epithalamium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Rin, Mikoshiba and Nitori go to a karaoke box, Nitori fanboys over Miyano Mamoru, and Rin is not amused.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Team Bonding

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the [Rei and Nagisa duet original drama](http://aitaikimochi.tumblr.com/post/72977940763). You can see photos of the drinks [here](http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2013/10/16-1/free-x-animate-collaboration-cafe-offers-mackerel-pineapple-drink). 
> 
> [Identity](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxL5HAg5dco). [Ever Fallen in Love (with Someone You Shouldn't)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPG6Ak5FASk). I don't share Rin's feelings about Miyano Mamoru.

It was another one of Mikoshiba's insane ideas for team bonding, as if training with them wasn't enough; every afternoon spent in the shower rooms with the naked members of the swim team, and Nitori sleeping on top of Rin every night, with Mikoshiba in the room across the hallway. Rin wondered if one can actually have too much bonding. But at least it was just the three of them this time, and he thought it was only an excuse anyway: Mikoshiba really loved singing karaoke and no one ever did karaoke alone, as far as Rin knew.

Mikoshiba should really get more friends, but Rin was hardly in any position to say that.

'I've never heard you sing before, senpai,' said Nitori, as they settled themselves on the sofa. Mikoshiba was already looking through the songs list, leaving Rin and Nitori to pick some snacks. 

'I don't.' Rin tried hard not to remember the first time he heard Nitori sing, but it wasn't something one could forget easily. He pretended to look intently at the menu, hoping Nitori wouldn't notice him blushing like a girl on her first date. 

'Well, you might as well start now,' said Mikoshiba.

'I don't sing.'

'That's no fun at all,' said Nitori, lower lip sticking out. Rin had never seen him play the cute card before: it was something Nagisa would do. The two hadn't seen each other since the Crab Festival, but Rin knew they'd exchanged email addresses, Nagisa cheerfully asking Nitori to keep in touch. Nitori wasn't exactly up to scratch with Nagisa's frenetic energy levels, but having one of them was surely enough for Rin's sanity. 

'Yeah,' Mikoshiba put in. 'You're in a karaoke box, Matsuoka! Sing for the team!'

'What does this have to do with swimming?' Rin was starting to feel like a bared ankle in a tankful of sharks. So much for the Samezuka swim team.

'Must everything have something to do with swimming?' Mikoshiba laughed, although his expression was calculating. 'Think of it as a chance to get to know your teammates better. Teamwork is half the battle, especially if you want to swim in the relay again.'

'I already spend most of my time with you guys,' said Rin. 'And Nitori's my roommate.'

'Yeah? Do you know what Nitori's favourite song is?'

That made Rin pause. He knew what subjects Nitori excelled at, the food he liked, the size of the underwear Nitori wore; he even knew what sort of porn magazines Nitori looked at while wanking off. But no. Rin had no idea what Nitori's favourite song was. It made Rin question his life choices.

'I don't think you know either, buchou,' said Nitori. 

'This is when we're going to find out,' said Mikoshiba, not missing a beat.

'Nice save,' Rin muttered. 'What drink are you getting, Ai?'

'I don't know,' said Nitori. 'I want parfait, though! “Very Very Happy Berry” sounds nice.'

'You're gonna be too full for lunch.'

'I won't,' said Nitori, pressing the buttons on the menu to order his parfait. 'Besides, we won't be having lunch until later. What about you, senpai?'

'You should try the “I'll Show You the Difference Between You and Me”, Matsuoka,' Mikoshiba suggested. 'I think that would suit you.'

'What the fuck is that even?' 

'It's soda with strawberry syrup, red jelly, and frozen berries.' 

Rin tried hard not to blanch, but Nitori was already punching the orders in, and Rin reckoned one only lived once, after all. 

'I want to try that, as well, but Sabapple Juice also sounds good. What do you think, buchou?'

Rin sighed. 'We can share mine.'

'Ah, thank you, senpai,' said Nitori, smiling. 'You can have some of my parfait, too!'

'You two sure get along well,' said Mikoshiba. It wasn't the first time he'd said that, so Rin didn't even try denying anything. Nitori didn't answer either, just upping the wattage of his smile so Rin could almost see him sparkling.

Mikoshiba leaned over so he could whisper against Rin's ear. Rin tried not to back away, in case Mikoshiba got offended, and he couldn't move far anyway since Nitori was sitting next to him. 

'I kinda envy you your cute underclassman, Matsuoka.'

'He's your cute underclassman too, you know,' Rin pointed out. He could feel Nitori peering at them from over his shoulder, and he hoped Mikoshiba had spoken softly enough so Nitori hadn't heard anything.

Mikoshiba laughed, sitting back against the sofa. 'Oh no, he isn't.'

Rin wasn't in the mood to argue, and it wasn't as if Mikoshiba ever listened, so he just shrugged and took the songs list from Mikoshiba. 

'What are you getting, buchou?' said Nitori.

'Aren't you going to offer me some of your parfait, too?' said Mikoshiba. 'How come Matsuoka gets special treatment?'

'Ah... well. That is--' Nitori was blushing. Rin looked up from the latest pop hits to watch as Nitori got more and more flustered, lips moving without actually speaking. 

'You're gonna eat whatever you want, anyway,' said Rin, finally taking pity on his roommate. 'Without asking.'

Mikoshiba thought about it. 'Yeah, you're right.'

'I know you love sweets, so you can have some of my parfait, as well,' said Nitori, recovering handsomely and putting the sparkles back in use. 

'Right,' said Mikoshiba, rubbing his hands together and grinning like a madman. 'Now let's choose the songs and get down to business.'

*

Rin had to give it to Mikoshiba: he did have a good singing voice. It was probably a bad idea to let him sing first, there was no way anyone could follow that sort of wholehearted performance. Mikoshiba wasn't the type of person who did anything by halves, giving his one hundred percent to any endeavour he thought worth his while. Rin found himself worrying about Gou's safety.

'You're just like an idol, buchou!' said Nitori, clapping.

Rin frowned at that, resenting the way Nitori's eyes shone as he looked at Mikoshiba. It was only singing, for fuck's sake. Anyone could do it.

'Who's gonna go next?' said Mikoshiba, waving the mic about and almost hitting Rin over the head with it.

'Come on, senpai! I'll be cheering you on.'

'Nah, you go first,' said Rin, grip tightening on the plastic covers of the songs list. 'I haven't chosen my song yet.'

'What're you singing, Nitori?'

'Hmm,' said Nitori, leaning over Rin's shoulder and looking at the songs. 'A song by Miyano-san, maybe?'

'That's lame,' said Rin. 

'But I like Miyano-san,' said Nitori. 'He has a good voice, and I think he looks cool.'

'What do his looks have to do with anything?'

'The music video he released recently was great, as well!'

Well there was another passionate person. Rin wondered if it was a requirement to get into the swim club. 

'Whatever. Just sing the fucking song already!'

'You don't need to shout, senpai,' said Nitori, pushing the buttons on the controller. Mikoshiba handed him the mic, and Nitori stood up just as the song started playing.

'I am me, I am me. A song for just the two of us.'

Nitori's singing voice was just a bit lower than his usual; Rin thought Nitori sounded like that whenever he was being serious or thoughtful. It was nothing against Mikoshiba's singing, of course, but Nitori _could_ carry a tune, and it did sound rather relaxing.

'The everlasting cycle of love, in any world, exhausting this body, just grieving this ephemeral love. Hiding in secret...' 

And wasn't that the usual romantic crap. Rin crossed his arms and glared as Mikoshiba did the second voice, 'Broken heart.'

'...the uncertain fate. You're my first love. You're the one in my life.'

Rin made a face as Nitori sang the English words. All right, it was kind of cute, but he still mangled his v's horribly.

Their drinks and Nitori's parfait had arrived while Mikoshiba was singing, and Rin took a sip of his 'I'll Show You the Difference' as Nitori went on with his song. The drink was actually quite good, which was more than Rin can say about this whole 'Identity' business. How long was it even? Not that Rin was looking forward to taking his turn on the mic, but the lyrics were really getting to him. And not in a good way. What was the point of holding on to a finished love affair, anyway? The singer wasn't getting anything out of it, and it sounded like a horrible existence, to be honest. 'I'll keep loving you because that is the proof that I'm alive'. Really? 

'Even though it's a wish that will never reach you, I won't stop, won't turn back any more.' Nitori took a deep breath, missing the beat, although Mikoshiba was kind enough to pick up the slack.

'I never got over you.'

Rin sat up, feeling like someone had poured his drink down his back. Did Nitori actually look at him? It was no more than a brief glance, really, as if to make sure Rin hadn't walked out to escape the cheesiness of it all. Rin could have imagined it; Nitori was looking at the screen again, intent expression on his face as if he was doing his homework.

'Until this body and this heart becomes exhausted, I'll keep loving you. Because that's the proof that I'm alive.'

The song was finally ending, _at last_ , Nitori barely murmuring the final lines, 'Love you now and forever. I found my identity.'

*

Rin ended up singing the Buzzcock's 'Ever Fallen in Love'--which was admittedly another love song, but he'd been pleasantly surprised to see it in the songs list and couldn't resist. Rin wasn't really much good at singing, and it wasn't an easy song to begin with, but with Nitori and Mikoshiba cheering him on and trying to make sense of the lyrics, it was actually quite fun. Or it might have been the combined effects of 'I'll Show You the Difference' and 'Very Very Happy Berry': Rin didn't handle sugar rush well.

'Nitori's score is higher than yours, Matsuoka,' said Mikoshiba, fiddling with the controller. 

Rin hadn't even noticed there were actually scores. He did a double-take, 'RIN-RIN?!'

'I put your names in for you.'

This time, Nitori's voice joined Rin's complaints, 'I don't see why I have to be Nitorin, buchou.'

'I thought about putting in Ai-ai, but Nitorin sounds better, doesn't it? Nitorin and Rin-rin. They rhyme!'

'But you're still Mikoshiba Seijuurou,' Nitori pointed out, in aggrieved tones.

'Well, I can't think of a way to make my name cuter, so.' Mikoshiba shrugged. 

'Do you have a problem with my name?'

'Now, now, senpai.'

'I'm starving,' said Mikoshiba, ignoring both Rin and Nitori. 'Why don't we go get some lunch?'

*

'Have you changed your mind about Miyano-san, senpai?'

Rin kept his eyes on Mikoshiba, who was walking ahead of them in search of the okonomiyaki place he remembered seeing the last time he went to town. 'Why should I? It's a horrible song. Why would you keep on loving a person who doesn't love you back?'

'That's the point,' said Nitori, sounding irritated. 'I think it requires a certain kind of strength to do that. You know, to choose to love a person even though you know you won't get anything out of it.'

Rin stopped walking so abruptly Nitori almost bumped against him. 'So now they get to earn points for martyrdom? Am I supposed to sympathise with that?'

'In love there are no sacrifices,' said Nitori. It sounded like he'd memorised it from a book. 

'It doesn't have to be that way.'

'I guess not.' And Rin wasn't imagining it this time: Nitori sounded sad. 

'No,' said Rin. 'It doesn't.'

And before he could second-guess himself, he held out his hand. 'Come on. I know Mikoshiba's hard to miss in a crowd, but we don't want to get left behind.'

Nitori looked up at him, the same expression on his face as when Rin first called him Ai. He took Rin's hand without saying anything, holding on tight. 

Rin expected a lot of nudges and winks from Mikoshiba later, but he couldn't be arsed to care. He wasn't planning on letting go any time soon, if at all. 

Although he probably needed to resign himself to live with Nitori's appalling taste in music. Miyano Mamoru. _Really_.


End file.
